Urgent measures required to reduce impact of high food prices on the poor

Dr Diouf said: “It is essential to increase agricultural investment in water control and infrastructure and to facilitate small farmer access to inputs, so they can raise their productivity.” He stressed the importance of effective marketing and processing systems for agricultural products. “Agro-industry helps preserve foodstuffs, add value and reduce post-harvest losses; it enables products to travel longer distances, including to the rapidly expanding cities,” he noted. “For its part, agro-industry generates demand for agricultural products and holds vast potential for off-farm rural employment. It also adds significant value to farm production, whether for domestic or export markets.”